After 92 years, cobbers stand tall at the Shrine

AN IMPORTANT step towards recognising a disastrous Australian action in World War I takes place on Saturday.

Premier John Brumby will unveil at the Shrine of Remembrance a sculpture that replicates one that graces the old battlefield in France.

In the battle of Fromelles, which began on the Western Front 92 years ago on Saturday, there were no fewer than 5533 Australian casualties in one night, a tally equivalent to those of the Boer, Korean and Vietnam wars combined.

Yet for decades Fromelles was Australia's forgotten battle - partly because of a British cover-up imposed immediately afterwards, partly because Fromelles was away from the main action, and partly because it was a ghastly disaster with no redeemable justification.

In recent years, though, awareness of the Fromelles fiasco has been increasing. In recent months this has accelerated, thanks to the publicity sparked by the archaeological discoveries there.

Peter Corlett's sculpture Cobbers has been enriching the experience of Australians visiting Fromelles since it was

erected a decade ago. It shows a sturdy, resolute Australian carrying a wounded comrade.

Both are identifiably from the 15th Australian Brigade, which was led by a famous Australian commander, Harold "Pompey" Elliott. Brigadier-General Elliott had anticipated that the attack at Fromelles, initiated by his British superiors, would end in disaster and had tried to stop it.

When his brigade of Victorians was slaughtered, as he had feared, his distress was unconcealed.

After the battle, rescuers ventured into no-man's-land to bring in the wounded.

Brigadier-General Elliott estimated that in his brigade 300 wounded were rescued, and about 30 rescuers became

casualties in the process. Sergeant Simon Fraser, a farmer from Byaduk, in Victoria's Western District, was one of the rescuers. Writing home afterwards, he described looking after a wounded soldier, when another called out: "Don't

forget me, cobber." He did not. For his sculpture at Fromelles, Corlett decided to depict Simon Fraser doing what he did after the battle. Cobbers is splendidly authentic and evocative.

But even though more visit Fromelles than they once did, not many Australians have had the opportunity to see Cobbers.

Three Melbourne-based admirers of Cobbers resolved to do something about it. They included Garrie Hutchinson, an author who has recently concentrated on Australian battlefield pilgrimage, and Lambis Englezos, whose persistent campaign about the location of Australians missing at Fromelles has been spectacularly vindicated, generating headlines around the world.

Their idea was for Corlett to create a replica of Cobbers that could be prominently located at the Shrine, where many more Australians would be able to see it than its twin at Fromelles.

The money for the new Cobbers was provided by the State Government and the Tattersalls George Adams Foundation.

Mr Brumby, in association with Fromelles Mayor Hubert Huchette, will unveil Cobbers at the Shrine at 11am on Saturday.

Mr Huchette is not the only French visitor. Also attending will be Martial Delabarre, who has helped so many Australian visitors to Fromelles that he has been awarded the Order of Australia Medal.